The next ten years were fairly uneventful. Harry and Hermione grew up happy and well. Growing up together meant they were closer than most cousins. They even bickered like brother and sister occasionally.
When Hermione's eleventh birthday came, the whole family had a day out at the zoo. At the entrance of the zoo, a lady was selling ice-creams. Petunia gave her daughter and nephew some money so that they could buy a 99p cone each and they went to join the queue. Just as they were reaching the front of the line, an enormously overweight boy pushed past them bypassing most of the people waiting for ice-creams. Harry was annoyed.
"You can't do that."
"Oh yeah, we'll see about that" the fat kid replied as a thin ratty kid walked up next to him and cracked his knuckles threateningly.
"These kids being trouble, big D?" the rat featured boy asked.
"He was the one that pushed in line" Harry pointed out. The boys dad, almost as large as his son and sporting a magnificent moustache, came over to the group. Ignoring everyone else he turned to the lady selling the ice-creams and ordered two massive chocolate cones. Once the two bullies had their ice-creams they left and Harry and Hermione were able to buy the cones they wanted.
They spent the morning walking around the zoo and then headed to the restaurant for lunch. The boys from the ice-cream queue were in the restaurant as well. The fat one was kicking up a fuss because the knickerbocker glory he had ordered was smaller than he wanted it to be. His parents were indulging his tantrum and the father was demanding that a waiter bring a bigger one.
Harry hoped they wouldn't have to see that boy ever again. They did see him again though. That afternoon the family ended up going to the reptile house. Harry saw the boy and his friend stood in front of a boa constrictors enclosure tapping on the glass to try and get the snake to move. Eventually the two boys left, fed up of waiting and Harry went up to the enclosure, feeling as if he ought to apologise to the snake for the boy's behaviour.
"Sorry about that" Harry said. The snake raised its head and looked at him.
"Can you hear me?" The snake moved its head down then up again as if it were nodding.
"Where are you from?" Harry asked the snake. The snake pointed towards a panel on the side of the enclosure with its tail.
"Boa constrictor, Brazil. Bred in captivity." Hermione read aloud coming over to join her cousin. The thin ratty boy suddenly yelled.
"Look what this snake's doing!" The two bullies shoved the cousins to the floor in order to push in front of the enclosure. Suddenly there was a screech and when Harry looked up he noticed that the glass had vanished and the snake was slithering away.
"Thanksss amigo." Hissed a voice as the boa constrictor passed Harry. The two boys continued to yell and screech.
Petunia hurried the children out of the reptile house and back to the car. She seemed to be shaking. When the family arrived home Lily's sister locked herself and her bedroom and her sobs could be heard from everywhere in the house.